


Commander of Puppies

by mnemosius



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Flirting, M/M, Puppies, did I mention there were puppies?, dorian can't handle how cute Cullen is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-16 17:49:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3497327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnemosius/pseuds/mnemosius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anon request: Puppies. I was all too happy to oblige with sheer fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Commander of Puppies

Cullen was late for their game. Dorian gave the usually early-arriving Commander a ten minute grace period, and then went to seek him out.

The best bet was his office. Maker only knew how long that man spent in there, looking over reports. Dorian would be lying if he said he didn’t find Cullen’s obvious competence incredibly attractive, but he wished the man would give himself some time off more often.

When he reached the door, Dorian stopped. He’d heard something. He battled with his sense of dignity for about half a second and then pressed his ear to the door. There was another muffled noise, and what sounded like many tiny feet on the floor. It also sounded like the Commander was… giggling.

That was enough. Dorian pushed open the door, and then promptly felt his jaw drop.

Cullen was lying on the ground, face red and happy, surrounded by at least a dozen squirming mabari puppies. The man’s hair was a mess from puppies pawing at it, his face was covered in drool from all the tiny pink tongues, and that ridiculous cloak of it was covered in little dirt pawprints.

Maker, but that man was beautiful.

Cullen, when he noticed Dorian standing in the doorway, managed to turn an even brighter red than before. He tried to push himself up to regain his dignity, but his hand landed on a mabari paw, and his face immediately shifted to concern as he picked up and cradled the unhappy pup. The pup in question was more than willing to immediately forget its pain and enthusiastically lick the Commander’s face.

“Don’t say a word,” Cullen said, face burning as he finally met Dorian’s eyes.

Dorian wasn’t sure he could. It was taking everything he had not to coo over the sight of the stern Commander of the Inquisition’s forces lying on the ground in a literal puppy pile.

Eventually, he overcame the urge. “Commander, may I ask why you are surrounded by tiny furry bodies?”  
“Apparently,” Cullen sighed, “one of our men thought the Inquisition would benefit from having trained mabari in the ranks. He brought along three of his own, and managed to keep them out of sight until, well, this happened.”

Cullen wasn’t even trying to sit up anymore. The puppies were just walking all over him, and for all that his voice sounded exasperated, his face showed he was anything but.

“Maker, how many of these are there?” Dorian asked. “I knew mabari had large litters, but this is ridiculous.”

“Sixteen,” Cullen said, holding off one spotted pup that was determinedly licking at his eyebrows. “Apparently the male was… very busy.”

“And why do you have all of them?”

Cullen muttered something under his breath, looking anywhere but at the mage.

Dorian smirked. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.”

“They’re soldiers,” Cullen said, trying very hard to look serious. “As their commander, I am responsible for-”

And that was it. That was Dorian’s limit. Cullen had just declared himself Commander of the puppies.

It started as a puff of air, a small laugh startled out of him by the sheer ridiculousness of the situation in front of him. Within seconds, it was a gale of full-body laughs, leading to him lying on the ground, scarcely able to breathe.  
Naturally, the puppies took this as an invitation to crawl all over their new toy, and now it was Dorian’s turn to be subjected to the puppy pile. Dorian kept laughing as he felt their little tongues start to rasp over his exposed skin, enjoying the wriggling balls of fur all over him.

Cullen took the opportunity to stand up, and offered Dorian a hand to safely get him back to his feet as well. There was a look in his eyes as he took in Dorian’s now slightly rumpled state. Dorian didn’t recognize it, but it seemed almost… fond. And perhaps something else, too, but Dorian didn’t dare let himself think like that anymore.

“Well,” Dorian said, still breathless, “I can certainly say they’ll be quite an army once they’re fully grown.”

Cullen huffed out a laugh. “Indeed. The enemy just needs to be lying down first.” He looked at Dorian almost shyly. “Perhaps you’d be willing to help me manage them?”

“It’s the Fereldens who have an unhealthy obsession with dogs, Commander,” Dorian teased, “not the Tevinter.” He took in Cullen’s puppy eyes (the man could give the mabari a run for their money), and threw up a hand. “But for you, I’m willing to make an exception.”

***

“Maker,” Cullen groaned, “why are they barking now?”

“They’re your dogs first, Amatus,” Dorian replied lazily from next to him in their bed. “They need their Commander.”

“Two years, and you still won’t let that go,” Cullen grumbled, running a hand through his mess of curls. He didn’t bother putting on pants as he slipped out from under the covers, and Dorian took a moment to admire the view.

“I don’t want to let any memory of you go,” Dorian replied, his voice sleepy and honest. “Even the ones where you embarrass yourself.”

Cullen’s expression softened into a smile, and he bent back down for a kiss. Dorian’s eyes darkened, and he reached to pull Cullen in for decidedly more than just a kiss. Of course it was then that the mabari’s barking shifted to a piteous whine, and both men groaned.

“I’ll be right back,” Cullen said, his voice husky.

“I’ll be waiting,” Dorian answered. For as long as you have me, Amatus, I’ll be here.

**Author's Note:**

> My ask box is always open at mnemosius.tumblr.com!


End file.
